A multiplicity result for a class of strongly indefinite asymptotically linear second order systems (Q847339)

The paper deals with a second order nonlinear boundary value problem of the form \[ Ju''(t)+S(t,u(t))u(t)=0, \quad u(0)=0=u(1), \tag{1} \] where \(J\) is a diagonal matrix with \(1\) (\(n-\nu\) times) and \(-1\) (\(\nu\) times) on its diagonal and \(S:[0,1]\times \mathbb{R}^n\to \text{B}_{\text{sym}}(\mathbb{R}^n)\) is continuous. The authors are concerned with the existence and multiplicity of solutions to (1) with prescribed nodal properties. For the statement of the main results they focus on the Maslov indices \(m_0\) and \(m_\infty\) of the following linear Hamiltonian systems associated to the asymptotic limits of the given nonlinearity \(Ju''+S_0(t)u=0\) and \(Ju''+S_\infty(t)u=0\), respectively. By these indices they find a sufficient condition for the existence of multiple solutions to the given BVP. For the proofs, they employ the concept of phase angle and the generalized shooting method. Then they apply a version of the Miranda fixed point theorem.